| Val Rouse | |
| Fullname: | Alfred Valentine Rouse |
| Birth Date: | 14 February 1897 |
| Birth Place: | Hoddesdon, England |
| Height: | [1] |
| Position: | Left half |
| Youthclubs1: | Llanelly |
| Youthclubs2: | Pontypridd |
| Years1: | 1921–1922 |
| Clubs1: | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Caps1: | 5 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 1922–1926 |
| Clubs2: | Stoke |
| Caps2: | 92 |
| Goals2: | 2 |
| Years3: | 1926 |
| Clubs3: | Swansea Town |
| Caps3: | 4 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 1926–1929 |
| Clubs4: | Port Vale |
| Caps4: | 95 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 1929–1931 |
| Clubs5: | Crewe Alexandra |
| Caps5: | 83 |
| Goals5: | 1 |
| Clubs6: | Connah's Quay & Shotton |
| Totalcaps: | 279 |
| Totalgoals: | 3 |
Alfred Valentine "Val or Vic" Rouse (14 February 1897 – 1961) was an English footballer who played for Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale, Stoke, Swansea Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers and was described as a 'gentleman' player.[2]
Rouse was born in Hoddesdon and played for Welsh sides Llanelly and Pontypridd before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1921.[2] He played five Second Division games for "Wolves" in the 1921–22 campaign, before joining First Division club Stoke in August 1922.[2] He played in 38 matches in 1922–23 as Stoke suffered relegation back to the Second Division.[2] Manager Tom Mather kept faith with Rouse at left-half in 1923–24, and made him captain for the 1924–25 campaign. He scored his first senior goal in a 1–1 draw with Barnsley at the Victoria Ground on 1 November 1924. Despite possessing a strong squad, overall performances on the pitch were below standard, and the team went 12 matches without a win (1 January 1925 to 21 March 1925) and was almost relegated.[2] Four wins and three draws in their last eight matches ensured survival by the narrowest of margins, a single point.[2] Rouse was sold to Swansea Town but featured just four times for the "Swans" in 1925–26. He left Vetch Field and joined Port Vale in June 1926.[3] He played 29 Second Division matches in the 1926–27 season and then 39 league games in the 1927–28 season, as Vale posted top ten finishes. However, he lost his first-team place at The Old Recreation Ground in February 1929 and was given a free transfer in May 1929. He spent the 1929–30 and 1930–31 seasons in the Third Division North with Crewe Alexandra, before joining Connah's Quay & Shotton.
Source:
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1921–22 | Second Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Stoke | 1922–23 | First Division | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 1923–24 | Second Division | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 1924–25 | Second Division | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2 | ||
| Total | 92 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 95 | 2 | |||
| Swansea Town | 1925–26 | Second Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Port Vale | 1926–27 | Second Division | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| 1927–28 | Second Division | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 0 | ||
| 1928–29 | Second Division | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Total | 95 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 102 | 0 | |||
| Crewe Alexandra | 1929–30 | Third Division North | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 1930–31 | Third Division North | 41 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
| Total | 83 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 87 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 279 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 293 | 3 | |||